Sunday, November 24, 2013

Chronological Order of Quranic Surahs

Chronological Order of Quranic SurahsThis page presents a series of tables presenting the traditional Islamic chronological order of the surahs.The source I used presented the information in three slightly contradictory tables, as those had been takenfrom various sources as well. I reconstructed the information below from the information apparently takenfrom the unnamed work of Abu al-Qasim `Umar ibn Muhammad ibn `Abd al-Kafi. Interestingly, Noldeke(in his Geschichte des Qorans) utilized the same as the basis for his own chronological order of the surahs.The only differences in order between the traditional order and the order given by Noldeke are the following:a.) surah 110 is last in the traditional order, but Noldeke places it between 59 and 24;b.) the order of 64, 61, 62 in the traditional order becomes in Noldeke 62, 64, 61Source: History of the Quran by Allamah Abu Abd Allah al-Zanjani(from Al-Tawheed vol. 4, no. 3; vol. 5, nos. 1, 2, and 3).A series of 4 pdf files obtained from www.playandlearn.org.

Chronological Order of the Meccan Surahs:The following table presents the Meccan Surahs in chronological order. Please note that somewhatunorthodox transliteration is due to font limitations for web pages. I think it will still make sense.The columns for the first two tables are: Surah number in the Quran, transliteration of Quranic title,translation of title, and a column of notes describing any exception to that chronological placement, etc.

96

al-`Alaq

The Clot

68

al-Qalam

The Pen

except 17-33, 48-50, from Medinah

73

al-Muzammil

The Mantled One

except for 73.10-11, 20, from Medinah

74

al-Muddaththir

The Clothed One

1

al-Fātiĥah

The Opening

111

al-Lahab

The Flame

81

at-Takwīr

The Cessation

87

al-A`lā

The Most High

92

al-Layl

The Night

89

al-Fajr

The Dawn

93

aď-Ďuĥā

The Early Hours

94

al-Inshirāĥ

The Expansion

103

al-`Aşr

Time

100

al-`Ādiyāt

The Assaulters

108

al-Kauthar

Abundance

102

at-Takāthur

Worldly Gain

107

al-Mā`ūn

The Daily Necessaries

only 1-3; rest from Medinah

109

al-Kāfirūn

The Unbelievers

105

al-Fīl

The Elephant

113

al-Falaq

The Daybreak

114

an-Nās

The Men

112

al-Ikhlāş

The Unity

53

an-Najm

The Star

except 32, from Medinah

80

`Abasa

He Frowned

97

al-qadr

The Majesty

91

ash-Shams

The Sun

85

al-Burūj

The Constellations

95

at-Tin

The Fig

106

al-Quraysh

The Quraish

101

al-Qāri`ah

The Terrible Calamity

75

al-Qiyāmah

The Resurrection

104

al-Humazah

The Slanderer

77

al-Mursalāt

The Emissaries

except 48, from Medinah

50

Qāf

Qaf

except 38, from Medinah

90

al-Balad

The City

86

aţ-Ţāriq

The Night-Comer

54

al-Qamar

The Moon

except 44, 45, 46, from Medinah

38

Şād

Sad

7

al-A`rāf

The Elevated Places

except 163-170, from Medinah

72

al-Jinn

The Jinn

36

Yā Sīn

Ya Sin

except 45, from Medinah

25

al-Furqān

The Criterion

except 68, 69, 70, from Medinah

35

al-Fāţir

The Creator

19

Maryam

Mary

except 58, 71, from Medinah

20

Ţā Hā

Ta Ha

except 130, 131, from Medinah

56

al-Wāqi`ah

That Which is Coming

except 81, 82, from Medinah

26

ash-Shu`arā'

The Poets

except 197 and 224-end, from Medinah

27

an-Naml

The Ant

28

al-Qaşaş

The Narrative

except 52-55 from Medinah and 85 from Juhfah at the time of the Hijrah

17

Banī Isrā'īl (or al-Isrā')

The Israelites (or The Night Journey)

except 26, 32, 33, 57, 73-80, from Medinah

10

Yūnus

Jonah

except 40, 94, 95, 96, from Medinah

11

Hūd

Hud

except 12, 17, 114, from Medinah

12

Yūsuf

Joseph

except 1, 2, 3, 7, from Medinah

15

al-Ĥijr

The Rock

except 87, from Medinah

6

al-An`ām

The Cattle

except 20, 23, 91, 93, 114, 151, 152, 153, from Medinah

37

aş-Şāffāt

The Rangers

31

Luqmān

Lukman

except 27-29, from Medinah

34

Saba'

Sheba

39

az-Zumar

The Companies

40

al-Mu'min

The Forgiving One

except 56, 57, from Medinah

41

Ĥā Mim Sajdah

Revelations Well Expounded

42

ash-Shūrā

The Counsel

except 23, 24, 25, 27, from Medinah

43

az-Zukhruf

The Embellishment

except 54, from Medinah

44

ad-Dukhān

The Evident Smoke

45

al-Jāthiyah

The Kneeling

except 14, from Medinah

46

al-Aĥqāf

The Sandhills

except 10, 15, 35, from Medinah

51

adh-Dhāriyāt

The Scatterers

88

al-Ghāshiyah

The Overwhelming Calamity

18

al-Kahf

The Cave

except 28, 83-101, from Medinah

16

an-Naĥl

The Bee

except last three verses 126-128, from Medinah

71

Nūĥ

Noah

14

Ibrāhīm

Abraham

except 28, 29, from Medinah

21

al-Anbiyā'

The Prophets

23

al-Mu'minūn

The Believers

32

as-Sajdah

The Adoration

except 16-20, from Medinah

52

aţ-Ţūr

The Mountain

67

al-Mulk

The Kingdom

69

al-Ĥāqqah

The Inevitable

70

al-Ma`ārij

The Ladders

78

an-Naba'

The Tidings

79

an-Nāzi`āt

Those Who Pull Out

82

al-Infiţār

The Cleaving Asunder

84

al-Inshiqāq

The Rending

30

ar-Rūm

The Romans

except 17, from Medinah

29

al-`Ankabūt

The Spider

except 1-11, from Medinah

83

at-Taţfīf

The Defrauders

last from Mecca

Chronological Order of the Surahs from Medinah:

2

al-Baqarah

The Cow

except 281 from Mina at the time of the Last Hajj

8

al-Anfāl

The Spoils Of War

except 30-36 from Mecca

3

āl-Imrān

The Family Of Imran

33

al-Aĥzāb

The Allies

60

al-Mumtaĥanah

She Who is Tested

4

an-Nisā'

Women

99

al-Zilzāl

The Shaking

57

al-Ĥadid

The Iron

47

Muĥammad

Muhammad

except 13, from during the Hijrah

13

ar-Ra`d

The Thunder

55

ar-Raĥmān

The Merciful

76

ad-Dahr

The Man

65

aţ-Ţalāq

The Divorce

98

al-Bayyinah

The Proof

59

al-Ĥashr

The Exile

24

an-Nūr

The Light

22

al-Ĥajj

The Pilgrimage

except 52-55, from between Mecca and Medinah

63

al-Munāfiqūn

The Hypocrites

58

al-Mujādilah

She Who Pleaded

49

al-Ĥujurāt

The Chambers

66

at-Taĥrīm

The Prohibition

64

at-Taghābun

The Cheating

61

aş-Şaff

The Ranks

62

al-Jumu`ah

The Day of Congregation

48

al-Fatĥ

The Victory

while returning from Hudaybiyyah

5

al-Mā'idah

The Food

except 3, from Arafat on Last Hajj

9

at-Taubah

Repentance

except last two verses from Mecca

110

an-Naşr

The Help

last one, from Mina on Last Hajj

Quranic Order of the Surahs(Note the additional first column which includes both the city and number of order for each surah, following the orderin which they are given in the above tables. The other colomns are the same.)

Mecca_05

1

al-Fātiĥah

The Opening

Medinah_01

2

al-Baqarah

The Cow

except 281 from Mina at the time of the Last Hajj

Medinah_03

3

āl-Imrān

The Family Of Imran

Medinah_06

4

an-Nisā'

Women

Medinah_26

5

al-Mā'idah

The Food

except 3, from Arafat on Last Hajj

Mecca_55

6

al-An`ām

The Cattle

except 20, 23, 91, 93, 114, 151, 152, 153, from Medinah

Mecca_39

7

al-A`rāf

The Elevated Places

except 163-170, from Medinah

Medinah_02

8

al-Anfāl

The Spoils Of War

except 30-36 from Mecca

Medinah_27

9

at-Taubah

Repentance

except last two verses from Mecca

Mecca_51

10

Yūnus

Jonah

except 40, 94, 95, 96, from Medinah

Mecca_52

11

Hūd

Hud

except 12, 17, 114, from Medinah

Mecca_53

12

Yūsuf

Joseph

except 1, 2, 3, 7, from Medinah

Medinah_10

13

ar-Ra`d

The Thunder

Mecca_72

14

Ibrāhīm

Abraham

except 28, 29, from Medinah

Mecca_54

15

al-Ĥijr

The Rock

except 87, from Medinah

Mecca_70

16

an-Naĥl

The Bee

except last three verses 127-129, from Medinah

Mecca_50

17

Banī Isrā'īl (or al-Isrā')

The Israelites (or The Night Journey)

except 26, 32, 33, 57, 73-80, from Medinah

Mecca_69

18

al-Kahf

The Cave

except 28, 83-101, from Medinah

Mecca_44

19

Maryam

Mary

except 58, 71, from Medinah

Mecca_45

20

Ţā Hā

Ta Ha

except 130, 131, from Medinah

Mecca_73

21

al-Anbiyā'

The Prophets

Medinah_17

22

al-Ĥajj

The Pilgrimage

except 52-55, from between Mecca and Medinah

Mecca_74

23

al-Mu'minūn

The Believers

Medinah_16

24

an-Nūr

The Light

Mecca_42

25

al-Furqān

The Criterion

except 68, 69, 70, from Medinah

Mecca_47

26

ash-Shu`arā'

The Poets

except 197 and 224-end, from Medinah

Mecca_48

27

an-Naml

The Ant

Mecca_49

28

al-Qaşaş

The Narrative

except 52-55 from Medinah and 85 from Juhfah at the time of the Hijrah